Twin Sisters (~13,400') from the Ice Lakes Basin trail.
Fuller Peak (13,761'), Vermillion Peak (13,894'), and Golden Horn (13,765') left to right.
The mighty Golden Horn!
I need to find the name of these plants.
Kicking steps along a short section of snow-covered trail.
Ice Lake and the saddle between Pilot Knob and US Grant Peak.
Our climb for the day--the Vermillion Dollar couloir on Vermillion Peak.
On the steep slope below the Vermillion Dollar Couloir.
Fuller Peak. Why didn't we bring our snowboards?
Getting ready to start the climb up the Vermillion Dollar Couloir. It was quite soft so crampons weren't necessary. Near the rock in the middle down low it was almost too soft and shallow!
Nearing the top of the couloir. A guy had skiied it a couple days earlier thus the tracks in front of Bill. Again, why didn't we bring our snowboards!?
After exiting the couloir we scrambled on some of the loosest rock in recent memory.
The Wilson group of Fourteeners near Telluride. El Diente, Mount WIlson, Gladstone Peak and Wilson Peak. (And Lizardhead too if you look closely!)
Closeup showing Gladstone Peak and Wilson Peak with Lizardhead in the foreground.
Bill on the summit of Vermillion enjoying some cheese, pepperoni and crackers.
Oscar's Pass (south side) with Mount Sneffels in upper left.
Fun downclimbing from the summit of Vermillion Peak.
We downclimbed the upper portion of the Vermillion Dollar Couloir to traverse over to the NE ridge to go climb Golden Horn.
Bill descending the NE ridge of Vermillion en route to Golden Horn (in the background.)
Another view of the Vermillion Dollar Couloir.
Grant-Swamp Pass from near the summit of Golden Horn.
An interesting piece of trash on the summit of Golden Horn--the “Love Ewe” adult novelty toy. I carefully rolled up this trash and carried it down.
Bill and I on the summit of Golden Horn with Vermillion Peak between us.
Super fun boot skiing on the descent of Golden Horn's south face. We descended 700 feet in 8 minutes.
Grant-Swamp Pass from Ice Lake Basin (south side of GS Pass). This side should be dry by race time but the north side could be a tricky climb on snow.
Back at the lovely South Mineral Creek Trailhead at 12:43pm. Trip stats: Climbed 4,620' vertical and covered ~11 miles in 6:38.
